Friday, August 23, 2013

I ran across this post in my drafts and decided to send it on without any picture.Something I rarely do.I have no clue as to the date it was written, but it doesn't really matter. I need to post enough to fill at least one book on my flowers, and then it is my plan to retire this particular blog. I have neglected it for way too long.

It might seem that I have completely abandoned this blog, and no excuse is really satisfactory, but I have been working with the yard and the flowers for awhile this Spring.

Today is a rainy day, and I find myself indoors more than usual. Naturally, I end up on my computer. I love writing about my interests, but I enjoy more, the actual working with them, and working with my flowers is right up there at the top of "My Most Favorite Interests" list.

Early in the Spring when everything begins to bloom, I get excited and that, of all times, is not a good time to move things around, but it seems I do most of my flower moving then. When and if it happens to rain and stay cool for a spell, then all goes well and my plants survive and do wonderful. If no rain comes and it turns off hot, they may die. That's a chance I have always been willing to take. I have so many flowers, loosing a few doesn't upset me that much. Now if I only have one of any particular flowers, I will use more caution when thinking of moving it around. Like in the Fall, when it is dormant. Flowers are a favorite of mine, but really I love working with plants of all kinds. I'm not sure if working with plants or working with the dirt is my greater love. I love trying to improve the soil. Our property has lots of red clay and that is not the best soil for growing anything. Kentucky is well known for the clay it supplies to the pottery companies, but for gardening, it's not the most ideal soil. We have lived on this piece of land for 35 years. It is a constant battle trying to keep the soil in good shape. Whenever you think you have it like you want it, along comes a gully washing rain, and washes a lot of it down the sinkholes, headed to Mammoth Cave country. I know they must have a Garden of Eden, of sorts, down there, from my efforts alone.

I have had this vine for many years, but never really knew it was a Clematis until recently. It produces a lot of vines in the early Spring and Summer. So much so, I must keep it trimmed, so as not to over run all of the other flowers in the surrounding area. This Fall, I plan to set out a few starts in other places. My son-in-law thinks it might be a good flower for the bees to use in gathering nectar. I have seen a field just down the road from our home in which this same flower has run rampant and it is beautiful. We now have plenty of open fields for it to roam, if necessary. Maybe the bees will take advantage of it and give us a good harvest of honey next Fall. Wouldn't that be wonderful.